Modular oro-nasal patient interface

Abstract

A patient interface including a vent structure that allows a continuous flow of gases exhaled by the patient from an interior of a nasal plenum chamber to the ambient. The vent structure is sized and shaped to maintain the therapeutic pressure in the nasal plenum chamber in use. The vent structure includes a housing secured to the nasal plenum chamber, and a vent wall coupled to the rigid housing and selectively movable between a closed position and an open position. The vent wall is biased toward the closed position. The vent wall is maintained in the closed position and is configured to be positioned in the open position as a result of contact with an oral cushion in order to accommodate the oral cushion with an oral plenum chamber and form an oro-nasal cushion.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A patient interface comprising:
 a body comprising:
 a nasal plenum chamber pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure of at least 4 cmH 2 O above ambient air pressure, said nasal plenum chamber including at least one plenum chamber inlet port sized and structured to receive a flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by a patient; 
 a seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to form a seal with a region of the patient's face surrounding an entrance to the patient's airways, said seal-forming structure having a hole therein such that the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure is delivered to at least an entrance to the patient's nares, the seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to maintain said therapeutic pressure in the nasal plenum chamber throughout the patient's respiratory cycle in use; and 
 a vent structure to allow a continuous flow of gases exhaled by the patient from an interior of the nasal plenum chamber to ambient, said vent structure being sized and shaped to maintain the therapeutic pressure in the nasal plenum chamber in use, and the vent structure comprising: 
 a housing secured to the nasal plenum chamber, and 
 a vent wall coupled to the housing and selectively movable between a closed position and an open position, 
 wherein the vent wall is biased toward the closed position, and 
 wherein the vent wall is maintained in the closed position and is configured to be positioned in the open position as a result of contact with an oral cushion in order to accommodate the oral cushion with an oral plenum chamber and form an oro-nasal cushion; and 
   a positioning and stabilising structure to provide a force to hold the seal-forming structure in a therapeutically effective position on the patient's head.   
     
     
         2 . The patient interface of  claim 1 , wherein the vent wall is flexible relative to the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The patient interface of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes at least one magnet configured to removably connect to the oral cushion. 
     
     
         4 . The patient interface of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning and stabilising structure includes one of more conduits configured to convey the therapeutic pressure to the nasal plenum chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The patient interface of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning and stabilising structure includes a textile strap configured to contact an occipital portion of the patient's head, the textile strap including a magnet configured to connect to a lower strap usable with the oral plenum chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The patient interface of  claim 5 , wherein the magnet is laminated to an outer surface of the textile strap. 
     
     
         7 . The patient interface of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is permanently connected to the nasal plenum chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The patient interface of  claim 1 , wherein the vent wall is movable into the nasal plenum chamber in the open position. 
     
     
         9 . The patient interface of  claim 1 , wherein the vent wall includes a plurality of openings configured to vent air in the closed position. 
     
     
         10 . The patient interface of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a lip extending at least partially around an inner perimeter, the vent wall configured to seal against the lip in the closed position. 
     
     
         11 . A method of assembling a modular patient interface, the method comprising:
 providing a nasal patient interface comprising:
 a nasal plenum chamber pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure of at least 4 cmH 2 O above ambient air pressure, 
 a nasal seal forming structure configured to seal with a patient's nares, 
 a vent structure including a vent body connected to the nasal plenum chamber and a vent wall connected to the vent body and movable between a closed position and an open position, and 
 a first positioning and stabilising structure configured to provide a tensile force for holding the nasal seal forming structure in an operative position; 
   providing an oral cushion comprising:
 an oral plenum chamber pressurisable to the therapeutic pressure of at least 4 cmH 2 O above ambient air pressure; 
 an oral seal forming structure configured to seal with the patient's mouth, 
 a receptacle disposed outside of the oral plenum chamber and spaced apart from the oral seal forming structure, the receptacle comprising,
 a receptacle opening providing fluid communication with the oral plenum chamber, and 
 at least one prong disposed around at least a portion of the perimeter of the receptacle opening; 
 
 a second positioning and stabilising structure configured to hold the nasal seal forming structure in the operative position; and 
   positioning the nasal patient interface in the receptacle and aligning the vent structure with the receptacle opening;   inserting the at least one prong into the nasal plenum chamber by moving the vent wall to the open position;   connecting the nasal patient interface to the oral cushion so that the nasal plenum chamber and the oral plenum chamber are connected to one another in an air tight configuration; and   connecting the first positioning and stabilising structure to the second positioning and stabilising structure.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising connecting an air delivery tube to the nasal plenum chamber, the air delivery tube is configured to delivery pressurised air to the nasal plenum chamber, and wherein the air delivery tube is configured to deliver the pressurised air to the oral plenum chamber when the at least one prong is inserted into the oral plenum chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the air delivery tube is conduit headgear and forms at least part of the first positioning and stabilising structure. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a surface in the receptacle includes a first magnet and the vent body includes a second magnet, and wherein connecting the nasal patient interface to the oral cushion is accomplished using a magnet connection. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a surface in the receptacle includes a first mechanical connector and the vent body includes a second mechanical connector, and wherein connecting the nasal patient interface to the oral cushion is accomplished using a removable snap fit connection. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first positioning and stabilising structure includes a strap with a third magnet and the second positioning and stabilising structure includes a strap with a fourth magnet, and wherein connecting the first positioning and stabilising structure to the second positioning and stabilising structure is accomplished using a magnetic connection. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising disconnecting the nasal patient interface from the oral cushion and using the nasal patient interface independently to deliver pressurised air to the patient. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the vent wall returns to the closed position and seals against the vent body. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising flexing the vent wall toward the nasal seal forming structure after inserting the at least one prong into the nasal plenum chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the vent body is permanently connected to the nasal plenum chamber.